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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Here's another quilt. I considered titling this post "Freebird Leftovers" since that is exactly what it is. When I finished making the Freebird Circle Quilt I had a ton of extra fabric and lots of it was already sewn together so I just decided to cut it all into the same wedges used to make the circle quilt, and sash it. So, voila! --another quilt using the Freebird fabric.

I was all excited to make this quilt-- mostly because I thought I would just be able to bust it out in a day or two...ha ha. I got all the wedges cut out...then I got the worst cold of my life that lasted for almost 2 weeks, and I didn't have the energy to even touch it. Meanwhile, it was in a pile in the family room so I could see it not getting done every time I sat down to relax. I really wanted to just get it done, so the minute I felt better I laid it all out on the floor to get it in order. My design wall is currently occupied and I didn't feel like clearing it off so I figured the floor would have to do--and it would turn out fine. Well that's what I get for being lazy. Now every time I look at it I just want to kick myself for all the like fabrics that are next to each other and the super awesome--I mean awful-- job I did of evenly dispersing the different colors throughout the quilt. Yes, I have issues with randomness. Oh well it is what it is...and maybe the person who is getting this one won't even notice!

I quilted this one using the same pantograph I made for the circle quilt...I just made it a little bigger so it was faster to quilt! For the backing, I used the matching green butterfly print I had on hand (the one I picked up a few months back for $2/yard) -how lucky that I just happened to have that, right? Feels good to be using stuff from my stash!

For the binding, I decided to just go scrappy-- I still had a few wedges that didn't fit into the quilt, so I just cut those down and sewed them all together...I really like how it turned out!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Here's my latest quilt. I promise I am not obsessed with circles--OK maybe I am, but this was a total coincidence! This one is for my cute mother-in-law Kristy (the one who stood in line with me at the best fabric sale EVER for like 4 hours). A couple of months back she went to another quilt shop (look what I started) and saw a kit for this quilt and fell in love with it. She sent it to me at Christmas and asked me to make it for her for Christmas next year...so woo-hoo, I am done with her Christmas present 9 months early! Just kidding ;)

I was so excited that she picked this fabric (Freebird by Momo for Moda). I think it is so cute! The pattern for this quilt was actually supposed to just make the circle. I used the Marilyn Doheny 25" 9-degree circle ruler to make the wedges, and it was super easy. I pieced it in about a day. My only issue with this pattern was the circle in the very center. After you sew all the wedges together, there is a 10 inch hole in the middle...the instructions say to use your favorite applique method to put the circle over the hole...and mentions that the pattern for the circle does not include a seam allowance. Well, I didn't add one...because I was pretty sure I didn't need one since it was applique, but then it ended up being a tiny bit small...could have used at least an extra 1/4 inch...but I made it work, so I guess it's all good, just a little irritating at the time!

After I was done making the big circle, it seemed kinda small to me...the pattern said right on it that it made a 50 inch circle --which it did--but in my opinion it is pretty small for a quilt you plan to use for anything other than decor. I talked to Kristy and we decided to make it bigger. So I ordered a few yards of the white floral print and added the background which made it a 71 inch square. When I laid it out, I asked my husband what he thought of it and he said it looked really 70's--kinda like a circle on a sheet (ouch-seriously, why do I even ask sometimes??). Once it was quilted he said it looked better. Yes, much better.

I had big plans for the quilting of this one...I wanted to quilt it with butterflies and flowers--so I looked for a pantograph I liked but then decided to use some of the elements in the fabric to make my own pantograph--kinda like I did for my sister Lori's quilt--and it worked out quite well (I love QuiltCAD). However, the fabric in this quilt is SO busy that the quilting kinda gets lost. I still think the quilting is so stinkin' cute...even if you can't really see it....here's the pantograph:

Yay for another finished quilt! And the best part is that the kit contained SO much fabric (I could have made that circle 2 and 1/2 times) that I have plotted another quilt using the rest of it...a different quilt...and I'm a little bit excited about it.